The beauty of sharing the climb with humility and openness is that you get to approach it all with levity. And that’s a hell of a lot more fun than dwelling in the inevitable frustration! - Jo Starling
Ahhhh, Fishing—the endless mountain of discovery. Indulge me for a few seconds and visualise the string of climbers on Everest, stretching from sea level to summit like a human daisy chain.
For the purposes of my story today, each represents a stage of mastery across the vast spectrum of fishing styles. From jigging for dogtooth tuna to grubbing for bass, or bait fishing for snapper to the finesse of dry fly fishing, the mountain encompasses it all.
This week, I’m guiding three remarkable women on their first trout-chasing adventure in the highlands above Jindabyne. Each comes from a different fishing background—game fishing off Coffs Harbour, land-based estuary fishing from Sydney, and bream tournaments in Victoria. As we converge on the mountain streams, I hope to spark their ascent into the world of fly fishing. Along the way, we’ll reflect on where we stand as anglers and the joy of sharing our collective journey up the slopes.
As for me, I’ve never guided before. So, I am simultaneously below basecamp as a guide and higher up the mountain in my stream fishing climb. I’m feeling very quantum.
Jo had fun generating this metaphorical image of anglers climbing Everest for us using AI.
In fishing, there’s always someone ahead to learn from and someone behind to inspire. One angler might be perched near the summit of jigging techniques, while another is exploring the foothills of fly fishing. The humbling twist is that quantum state of being at vastly different stages across styles. You might be an ace at grubbing for bass but barely at base camp with fly casting.
And the enlightened guru at the mountain’s peak? They who know it all (if you’re anything like me you probably visualise them glowing like a dim bedside lamp in a kidlet’s bedroom… probably floating on a cloud)? They don’t exist. That glowing vision is quite accurate, because fishing guru status is just as unattainable. Fishing is too broad and varied. No-one can possibly attain total enlightenment… and THAT is why the sport is so deliciously addictive.
OK Jo… you’re having way too much fun!
Diverse Backgrounds, Shared Passion
When different disciplines converge, the result is magic. The women I’m guiding this week represent the diversity of recreational fishing and they’re all mates. We met through the Women’s Recreational Fishing League and this sojourn is a prize trip for the winners of FlattyX, which was held in March this year (We always provide a completely different fishing experience to the tournament style as a prize, to ensure our League Members continue to stretch their comfort zones).
Jigging for dogtooth tuna requires a different mindset from bait fishing for snapper, just as grubbing for bass contrasts sharply with tournament bream fishing. Each style is a universe unto itself, with techniques, gear, and strategies to master. Fly fishing is one of many — and no more or less worthy than the others.
Our little group is a collection of varied disciplines too — game, estuary and tournament bream fishing couldn’t be more different, yet they share the same addictive pull: the tug is the drug, as they say.
As we take on trout fishing together, I can’t wait to see how their varied skills translate to these highland streams. One thing is certain: the exchange of ideas and insights will be stimulating!
The three ladies exploring skills during the FlattyX woMENTORnament in March 2024. Exploring different disciplines broadens your skills and deepens your love for the sport. Mastery isn’t the goal; the journey is.
For me, few things rival the thrill of a trout rising to take a dry fly off the surface. If the insects are out, the girls are in for a thrill! Dry fly fishing is a lesson in patience and precision, and I’m excited to introduce my group to its unique challenges. Teaching them to read a trout stream is like translating a new language—every swirl and bubble tells a story. And when a trout finally rises, it’s the ultimate payoff.
Laugh All the Way Up
From tangled lines to missed strikes, snags and bust-offs, every angler knows the frustration of mistakes. These are the lessons from that glowing Zen master floating above the peak. The biggest lesson it teaches each of us is to keep things in perspective — not just in fishing, but throughout our lives. Fishing is about embracing the chaos. Every mishap is a mentoring memory—and a story worth sharing.
The beauty of sharing the climb with humility and openness is that you get to approach it all with levity. And that’s a hell of a lot more fun than dwelling in the inevitable frustration!
Members of the WRFL laugh their way through every learning opportunity — this one was a come and try fly day in June.
The best thing about the climb is pulling others up with you.
Taking on Everest needn’t be a solitary climb. Sharing what we learn is as rewarding as the catch itself. I encourage everyone on this steep learning curve to inspire those behind you and reach out to those ahead. As I prepare for my first crack at guiding this week, I’m reminded of how much I have to learn, yet I have learned enough to know I have value to share with my friends. In turn, they are teaching me about how to be a worthwhile mentor.
Whether we’re trying to land a perfectly presented dry fly or trolling a teaser in the warming deep blue currents off the coast, every angler is part of a shared journey — a daisy-chain of climbers on an infinite mountain.
Wherever you stand, keep climbing. Teach what you know, learn what you don’t, and relish every step. Because fishing, like life, is about the adventure. May the glow of that gaudy bedside lamp always remind us to enjoy the ride.
Until next time… FISH ON!
For three decades Jo has worked with businesses and personalities, helping them to promote themselves in one form or another, whether through graphic design, advertising, promotions or marketing.
She has owned a fishing rod for just as long, but it’s only been in this new century that it hasn’t been allowed to gather dust.
Jo is a passionate advocate for the sport of fishing and its promotion as a healthy lifestyle for women.
To find out more about Jo visit her website HERE
Or you can visit her Fishtopia Web site HERE or on the banner below.
Jo is also the founder and National President of the Women’s Recreational Fishing League (WRFL) Inc. The work they do is very important in balancing the participation ratios of fishing in Australia, thus making the collective voices of Aussie anglers more harmonious and powerful, as well as shoring up the economy of the sector. For more information visit their Website at womensrecfishingleague.org
